Tag: preserve

Oldsmar

Oldsmar residents can thank founder Ransom E. Olds for the charm of the town with its thoughtfully planned streets fanning out from Shore Drive along Tampa Bay. Hiring engineers and surveyors from Boston, Olds modeled the community after Washington, D.C., with tree-lined boulevards leading from the bay to downtown like spokes of a wheel.

Varied Lifestyles Oldsmar has changed dramatically in recent years as the older cracker-style homes have given way to luxurious waterfront estates, and former farmland has been developed into master-planned communities with golf, tennis, swimming and other amenities. With the multitude of new neighborhoods, everything from starter-homes to luxury condominiums to executive mansions is available to fit a wide range of budgets and lifestyles.

Natural Beauty Oldsmar residents take seriously their stewardship of the area’s natural beauty. In 1992, rather than develop the land, nearly 1,700 acres of pine flatwoods, cypress domes and wetlands were set aside for the Brooker Creek Wildlife Preserve. The city maintains an exceptional reclaimed water system as part of its commitment to the environment.

Its location on the Eastern edge of Pinellas County make it a favorite of individuals who want a small town lifestyle, but need to be centrally located between the larger bay area cities of St. Petersburg, Clearwater or Tampa. On the weekend, Oldsmar residents might be found hunting bargains or purchasing fresh produce at the Oldsmar Flea market, a local institution, or hiking a nature trail in one of the city’s many parks. Each spring everyone turns out for Oldsmar Days and Nights which for almost 50 years has been the annual celebration of Oldsmar’s history.

Factoids: Population: 13,591 according to the 2010 U.S. Census Land Area: 8.92 Sq. Miles

Points of Interest: Master-Planned Communities, Golf, Tennis, Swimming, The Brooker Creek Wildlife Preserve. Small Town Lifestyle, Centrally located between the larger bay area cities of St. Petersburg, Clearwater or Tampa. Oldsmar Flea market, Hiking, Nature Trails, Oldsmar Days and Nights.

Pinellas Largest City St. Petersburg’s 244,769 residents (according to the 2010 U.S. Census) live in more than 100 communities. To say there is something for everyone in St. Pete is not an exaggeration. You could choose a Craftsman-style bungalow in friendly Historic Kenwood or a Mediterranean villa estate on Snell Isle. Find a restored Colonial Revival along the tree-shaded streets of Old Northeast, or a more contemporary home along the famed “Pink Streets” of Pinellas Point, a luxury high-rise condo overlooking the downtown waterfront, or a rehabbed 1920s Tudor in charming Crescent Lake.

A Vibrant City Center Downtown is a magnet to residents and visitors alike, with its phenomenal shopping and dining offerings, art galleries, antique shops and cultural and recreational facilities, including the Museum of Fine Arts.

Endless To Do ListSt. Pete residents tend to be quite active in their own communities, but have plenty of reason to get out and about. Saturday morning at the outdoor market is a popular spot, in fact one of the nation’s largest of its kind. You may choose a night out on the town with live theater and find dining or maybe an afternoon with a glimpse of rare wildlife at Boyd Hill Nature Park. You can spend an afternoon with the kids at Great Explorations, an interactive museum, maybe followed by an evening of theater at American Stage, the Bay area’s oldest professional theater company. You can enjoy a stroll through a waterfront art festival or maybe attend a Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball game at Tropicana Field nearby.

No where else St. Pete folks are especially proud of The Salvador Dali Museum, the world’s largest collection of Dali Art outside of Spain. Visible from downtown is the beautiful Sunshine Skyway Bridge, at 4.1 miles long and 19 stories high, the largest cable suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

Green Space St. Pete is also one of Florida’s greenest cities with 2,300 acres of public land dedicated to parks and recreation areas across 137 city parks. Jewels include historic the Weedon Island Preserve, with a canoe trail taking you through a tunnel of native mangroves, and a portion of the Pinellas Trail.

“What strikes me about our town is that in spite of lots of new construction, condos, office buildings, even a professional baseball stadium, St. Pete still feels like a small town. And with its many old buildings still preserved its evident the city has a rich history and didn’t just spring up in the last few years. Finally, I love the way our downtown waterfront has been preserved as it for the most part it is open and free for everyone to enjoy.”Pat Mason, 40-year resident.

Factoids:

Population: 244,769 according to the 2010 U.S. Census Land Area: 60.9 Sq. Miles